A Love Story Between Us
by xAi-chanx
Summary: A combination of modern version Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and Beauty and the Beast mixed in the world of alices. Mikan Sakura is a girl with a Cinderella style of living. But after meeting two people who became a part of her life later on, she becomes aware of her fate, which is unfair and painful. Will she still have a happy ending just like in the fairytales? #11
1. Chapter One — About Mikan

**Author's Note:** It will be like I, the author, is telling you all a story. Even if this is a combination of the other Disney fairytales, it won't really be exactly like the stories' plot. I just got some ideas and put them all into this story. I assure you all that this is unique from all the others (well, just as far as I know). Anyway, if you're interested, then I really hope that you'll enjoy this story of mine.

**Pairings:** A love square between Ruka, Hotaru, Mikan, and Natsume.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Gakuen Alice. Higuchi Tachibana owns it.

**—***—**

_Let's get on with it, shall we? Get some pillows and popcorn and I will be your storyteller for the day._

—*****—**

**A Love Story Between Us**

_written by erinhathaway_

—*****—**

**Chapter One — About Mikan**

_Hello, readers. Today, I will tell you a story about four people who, at first, didn't really pay much attention to love. But when they met each other..._

_Things began to change._

Once upon a time, there lived a girl named Mikan Sakura. She was petite and average in height, had big brown eyes and a heart-shaped face with a small nose. She usually sported her long brown locks in two pig tails, with the tips curling naturally, although she changed this from time to time, often to match with the occasion at present. Her father passed away when she was only eight. _But_, Mikan wasn't left nothing at all. Her father, after the death of her mother years ago, had remarried to a snobby, rich lady with two pampered daughters. Her stepmother was known as Luna Koizumi, a woman with strawberry-blonde hair that almost reached her shoulders, thick lips, and cold blue eyes. Sumire, Mikan's stepsister, was a girl with an elitist, controlling, and overall disagreeable attitude. She had short dark green hair with several distinctive curly, long strands at the front. Her bangs were cut straight across, reaching the top of her eyebrows. Her eyes were a dark green color.

Mikan's other stepsister, Hotaru, was noticeably different from Sumire. Where Sumire was loud, Hotaru was quiet. Where Sumire was hot-headed, Hotaru was mellow-headed. Hotaru was also sometimes prone to be annoyed, especially with Mikan. The two played together when they first met each other (when they were eight years old). Or, rather, _Mikan_ played with Hotaru. They shared an indescribable bond, though Hotaru didn't show much affection or even made Mikan feel that they were friends at all.

Hotaru was intelligent, logical, extremely rational, and had a foul mouth. She could also come across as rather detached and downright threatening when she wanted to. She was rather rude, and, though she appeared civil, she was actually a very lazy person. She seemed always calm and apathetic towards other people, even when she was conflicted, and was seldom surprised. She also bordered a certain level of arrogance, which other people she knew found annoying about her. Although generally serious, Hotaru also had a comedic side. She was a gourmand, who takes pleasure in food. She often ordered Mikan to make more food, resulting in the latter silently calling her a pig (in an affectionate manner, of course). She had short dark hair, violet eyes, and a rather pretty face.

Mikan's two stepsisters didn't get along well since they had no relation to one another. Luna sheltered Sumire and Hotaru because their parents were currently busy with their work. Ennosuke Shouda and Subaru Imai, the two's older brothers respectively, were also busy managing the biggest company in Alice City. At first, Luna didn't like them much and only provided their needs, feeling that it was her obligation to do so. But when time passed, she learned to care for them and gave them the best treatment possible, thus resulting in Sumire's spoiled attitude and Hotaru's greed for both money and food.

When Mikan's father, Izumi Yukihira, died, Luna's personality changed drastically. She became violent and abusive, causing her to change her last name back to Koizumi. She blamed Izumi's death on his daughter, Mikan, and forced her to do all the household chores in order to compensate for it. Mikan, only eight years old at that time, innocently agreed with a bright smile plastered on her face. Luna, still in a depressed state at that time, slapped her hard, causing Mikan to lose all sense of justice and just did whatever Luna ordered her to in fear.

And so, Mikan had been serving her 'family' for eight long years, unmindful of all the things happening in the city. But when March 16, 2012 came, which was the date of the 16th birthday of the most influential family in Alice City's son, an unexpected thing happened.

It came out in the news on TV. All the people in the city were invited to go to the party. Everyone wasn't given an option. They just _had_ to go.

But Luna forbade Mikan to go for she thought that Mikan going to the party would disgrace her whole family and relatives. She even kept Mikan's real identity and made it look like she sheltered her out of sympathy, causing her to gain positive reviews from the people. Mikan, of course, was frustrated, but she knew that there was nothing she could do about it.

And so, regarding the party, Mikan, feeling deprived of her right to attend, tried her best to persuade Luna into coming to the occasion, too.

"Please, mother," she begged. "I promise that my chores will be finished before 5:30 p.m. Dinner will be ready, and your dress will be ironed. I'll also help you with your makeup, if you wish."

Luna arched an eyebrow. "Oh? So if you do all that, you want me to let you attend the party?"

Mikan nodded. "Yes. I will sew my own dress and fix my face. I will do anything you say, so please, mother…"

Luna looked thoughtful for a moment, then she nodded. "All right, it's settled. As long as you do your chores properly and also make yourself look appropriate for the party, then I will agree."

Sumire's eyes widened. "Huh?!" she exclaimed. "But mother!"

Luna looked at her. "What's wrong, Sumire? Don't you think it's a fair trade? After all, I'm sure that she couldn't even finish all her chores in just four hours. She still has to make lunch, clean the bathrooms, make the beds, water the plants, and many more." Her voice was loud enough for Mikan to hear.

Mikan didn't say anything and just went to the kitchen to cook something for lunch. Hotaru glanced at her and sighed.

"What an idiot…" she muttered, going up to her room.

—*****—**

Before 6:00pm, Mikan managed to finish all of her chores. She skipped happily towards her stepmother's room and knocked on her door.

"Excuse me, mother," Mikan said. "It's me, Mikan. I just want to tell you that I have already finished all my—"

"Have you found a suitable dress yet?" Luna interrupted.

Mikan brightened. "Yes, I have. In fact, it's—"

"Give it to Hotaru. She doesn't have any dresses in her closet."

"Eh? But, mother—…"

"You can't go to the party. My decision is final."

—*****—**

Mikan knocked on Hotaru's door.

"Who's there?" Hotaru called out flatly.

"Um, Hotaru? It's Mikan…"

Hotaru slowly opened the door, her expression clearly that of annoyance. "Come in," she said.

Mikan went inside and gave Hotaru her dress. It was a cute blue cocktail dress with layers of polyester chiffon, cut on the bias pleated bodice and over size straps. It was side zipped and fully lined.

Hotaru stared at her. "Did you make this all by yourself?"

Mikan nodded sadly. "Yeah… I just found some polyester fabrics from the attic and washed it thoroughly. I even found some gems and laces in the old boxes in the basement…"

Hotaru stared at the gown. It was hurriedly sewn; there were loose threads at the sides and there were also a few flaws in the upper part. But other than those, it was flawlessly done.

_I didn't know that you were this good._ "Mother can be a bit harsh, but…" Hotaru gave Mikan back her dress. "Here. I don't need it."

Mikan stared at her, dumbfounded. "Eh…? But—"

"I won't go to the party," Hotaru said, noticing the confused expression on Mikan's face.

It took a few more seconds for her words to process inside Mikan's brain. "WHAT?!" Mikan exclaimed. "Why not?"

"Because I'm already content in staying here and reading a book."

"But…" Mikan looked at the dress in her hands. "What should I do with this?"

"Go cook dinner," Hotaru said. "After that, I'll tell you what you should do with it."

—*****—**

It was nearly 6:30pm when Mikan went to the woods to pick some berries for the cake she was going to bake as a dessert for dinner. At first, she debated whether to just buy it in the supermarket or borrow some from her neighbor. In the end, she decided that she preferred getting it the natural way. Besides, it would even save money.

As she walked towards the bushes full of berries, a rabbit suddenly hopped over to her. Mikan stared at it, surprised and awed at the same time.

"Aaw, what a cute little bunny!" she exclaimed, picking the rabbit up and cuddling it.

At that moment, a boy with dark unruly hair and crimson red eyes appeared from behind a tree. He was wearing crooked glasses and dorky braces, giving him a geeky look. He appeared to be sweating. His skin was brown like he just had an excess tan and his clothes were ragged.

In other words, he looked like one of those persons who are sleeping on the streets, the kind who doesn't care about their appearance at all.

Mikan dropped the rabbit and her basket in surprise. She then instinctively stepped back, not because she thought he was ugly but because Luna always warned her not to talk to strangers (the real reason for this is because Luna doesn't want her to blab about her being the daughter of Luna's deceased husband).

"Who are you?" the boy demanded, his crimson eyes burning into hers.

Mikan blinked at him, unsure of what to do.

The boy made a pokerface. "_Oi_, if someone asks you a question, the least you could do is answer them, not back away in fear," he said flatly.

Mikan gulped inaudibly. When she spoke, her voice was tinged with uncertainty. "You… You are a stranger, am I right?"

"…" He stared at her as if she were crazy.

Mikan went on, not noticing his look. "My mother warned me never to talk to strangers."

The boy let out a sigh. His eyes studied her intently before he spoke. "Natsume Hyuuga."

Mikan looked confused. "What's that?"

_This girl is an idiot…_ he thought. He forced himself to stay calm.

"It's my name," he said. "So I'm not a stranger anymore, right? Now tell me who you are."

Mikan thought about it for a moment, then nodded. _It seems that he really isn't a bad guy…_

"Hi," she said cheerfully, a bright smile lighting up her features. "My name is Mikan Sakura. Pleased to meet you, Natsume."

Natsume eyed her suspiciously. "You're going to the party, aren't you?"

"No, I'm not," she said. "My mother forbade me to go."

Natsume concealed his surprise. "All the people in this city are requested to go."

"Yeah, but when I think about it, maybe it would be better if I would just stay home. Besides, with the house left unattended, stray cats would go inside and—"

"So you'd rather not attend Ruka Nogi's birthday?" Natsume interrupted.

"That's the name of the Nogi family's son?" Mikan said, surprised. She started to say something, but decided against it. Instead, she asked, "How about you? Are you going to attend the party?"

Natsume nodded. "Yeah. He's a friend of mine."

Mikan blinked, staring at him. "Oh… Uh… Really?" Her gaze was fixed on his ragged clothes.

"You think that I can't be his friend because of my looks, am I right?"

"Eh? Oh, of course not!" Mikan denied, blushing in embarrassment. "Why would I think that?"

Natsume sighed. "I should go. The party's about to start."

"Okay!" Mikan said, smiling. "Take care."

—*****—**

Hotaru declared in the middle of dinner that she wouldn't go to the party. Luna was shocked and tried to persuade her to reconsider. However, all of her efforts were futile. Hotaru had already made up her mind.

When Luna and Sumire left, Hotaru grabbed Mikan's arm and led her upstairs. In Hotaru's room, Mikan saw heaps of dresses sprawled on her bed. All of them were a combination of the words fantastic, elegant, lovely, and beautiful.

"Whoa!" Mikan exclaimed, marveling at the wonderful sight before her eyes. "Where did you get all these?"

"When you picked some berries in the forest, I went shopping," Hotaru said.

Mikan stared at her. "Hotaru, can I ask you something?" she said timidly.

"What is it?"

"Why are you doing this?"

"I'm doing this because I am dead tired of your idiocy," Hotaru snapped. A shocked expression crossed Mikan's face. "In life, we all have our own rights," Hotaru continued on. "There are always those unfortunate times in life which we don't deserve. We should fight back when that is the case." She glared at Mikan, who flinched in response. "There also times when it's necessary not to snap, and there are also times when it's necessary to bite back. That is the only way to survive in this kind of life. Therefore, you, Mikan Sakura, are a _coward_."

"M-Me?" Mikan said. "A-A coward…?"

"You're not only a coward, but an _idiot_, too," Hotaru remarked. "You don't deserve being treated like that by your stepmother. I often thought that you would fight back, but when eight years passed by, you did nothing. _Nothing_ at all. So now it's time for me to snap some sense into you." She grabbed Mikan and sat her on a chair facing the dresser mirror. In Hotaru's hands were a mascara and a lipstick. Mikan froze.

Hotaru had a glint in her eye. "Let the transformation begin."

—*****—**

_This marks the end of chapter one._

—*****—**

**Author's Note**

_Um, excuse me. I just want to say that, if this doesn't get at least 20 reviews, then I won't continue this story. The reason is merely because I don't really feel confident about this and I don't know if what I wrote satisfies you guys. I personally think it's a little plain and uninteresting. So, if I can get at least 20 reviews or more, then I will feel that I made a story that can at least hold your interest. I am so sorry for making such a selfish request. :'(_

_Have a nice day, guys._


	2. Chapter Two — The Party's Climax

—*********—**

**A Love Story Between Us**

_Chapter Two — The Party's Climax_

—*********—**

Somewhere in the center of Alice City, there stood a wide, luxurious mansion in which the Nogi family resided in. It was almost six-thirty, so a tense atmosphere was observed in the busy surroundings. Many hired workers were moving antiques from room to room, mowing the lawn, dusting the furniture, and preparing the food for the birthday party.

Meanwhile, in the solace of his room, Ruka Nogi sighed as he stared at himself in the mirror. In truth, he was dreading the occasion that was about to start in a few minutes. He didn't like the idea of celebrating his birthday with the whole city. It was like he was going to mingle with strangers. But it wasn't that he was antisocial. He just preferred spending his special day with his family and his best friend.

Ruka studied his face. His blond hair was messy and his blue eyes looked tired. He was currently waiting for Natsume to come since he had something important to ask him.

Then the door opened to reveal his mother, looking bright and excited.

"Happy birthday, my son," she said, kissing his cheek affectionately. "Are you finished getting ready yet? Oh! And what happened to your face?"

Ruka pulled away from her gently, knowing all too well that what his mother was talking about was the drooping of his eyes (he didn't get much sleep last night). "It's nothing, mom," he assured her. "I'll just fix it up later."

Mrs. Nogi looked at her son worriedly. "Are you sure? Do you need me to—"

"Don't worry," Ruka said, forcing a smile on his face. "Just go downstairs and entertain the guests."

"But what about you?"

"I'll go down later. I still have to wait for Natsume in the backyard."

"Oh, well all right. Be sure to show up when it's 7pm, okay? I have an announcement to make and you need to be there." Mrs. Nogi went out the door, leaving her son in an agitated state.

_I knew it_, he thought glumly. _She _is_ planning something._

_I just hope it won't be too bad._

—*********—**

"You look…" Hotaru said slowly, staring at Mikan's reflection.

Mikan's nervous expression was shown all over her face. "What? D-Does my makeup look a little thick…?"

"No." Hotaru smiled at her for the first time. "You look sensational."

And in fact, she was. Mikan's hair was tied up into a neat bun with sparkly flower accessories surrounding it. Curly strands framed each side of her face, giving her an elegant look. Her eyes were bigger and more beautiful than usual, thanks to the eyeliner, mascara, and eye shadow. Her cheeks were adorned with light shades of pink and her lips were shaped finely because of the glossy lipstick and lip liner. Her dress was a sleeveless top with a beautiful handkerchief hem and an ivory satin trim along an empire waist that tied in the back.

She looked like a totally different person.

Yup, just like Cinderella.

Mikan blushed. _Her smile looks so good on her_, she thought. Then she stared closely at Hotaru and smiled widely. "Oh, Hotaru! You look so beautiful!"

Hotaru had on a sleeveless dress with black circle trim contrast front and back yoke + waistband, center front and fake welt pocket in grosgrain fabric contrast. It was fully lined and a slim fit. Just like Mikan, her eyes looked bigger and brighter than usual because of the eyeliner and mascara. _But_, she also added fake eyelashes to give her a refined look.

All in all, she looked like a gorgeous Japanese doll.

"Should we go?" Hotaru said, ignoring Mikan's compliment.

Mikan had a confused expression on her face. "Huh? I… thought you've already decided not to go to the party…?"

"That was my subterfuge to trick Ms. Koizumi and Ms. Shouda," Hotaru said flatly. "If I told them that I would go to the party, they would insist that I have to go with them. If that happened, then I would've left you behind on your own. I'm sure you didn't want that, right?"

Mikan had nothing to say to that, but there was something that was bugging her at the back of her mind and if she didn't ask Hotaru about it now, she would feel like she was going to burst.

"Why are you referring to mother and Sumire as Ms. Koizumi and Ms. Shouda?" she blurted out.

"It's nothing personal," Hotaru replied, her face impassive. "They are merely strangers to me, so why should I call them my mother and my sister?"

Mikan didn't say anything after that.

—*********—**

"Ruka?"

"Natsume." Ruka jumped down from the small flight of stairs, his feet landing smoothly on the soft grass. He walked over to his best friend, a smile forming on his face.

"Aren't you going to show up at the party?" Natsume asked, straightening his glasses.

Ruka moved closer to him, a worried expression on his face. "Shouldn't you just fix your glasses? I have a pair of contact lens in my room. Would you like to borrow them?"

"No," Natsume said. "It's okay."

"That old, crooked one has been giving you trouble for the past eight years, hasn't it?"

"Yeah… It's just a little surprising that it still fits on my face." Natsume took off his glasses and rubbed them with his shirt. But before he put them back on, his gaze rested unconsciously on his ragged clothes.

Ruka noticed it. "Come with me," he said, taking Natsume's arm. "Let me lend you some clothes."

—*********—**

When Mikan and Hotaru came inside the mansion, Mikan was instantly awed by the elegant dresses the guests were wearing, the clean, yellow-colored wallpaper filled with lovely paintings, and the wide, magnificent living room with numerous tables covered in white tablecloths. Four guests were sitting in each table and each table had a slender, pale violet vase with intricate designs in the center. Placed inside the vases were two long-stemmed white and red roses.

Mikan turned to Hotaru excitedly. "Hotar—" she stopped short when she saw Hotaru wear a black mask which only covered her violet eyes.

"Now no one will recognize me behind this mask," Hotaru muttered, seemingly not hearing Mikan say her name. Then she wandered off, disappearing into the crowd.

"Hotaru?" Mikan cried.

_What am I going to do now?_

—*********—**

"There," Ruka said after fixing the tie on Natsume's tuxedo. "Now you look pretty normal."

Natsume smirked. "Glad to hear it."

"Ruka!" Mrs. Nogi called out from the door. "Is Natsume there? If he is, please tell him to hang the lights on the branches of the trees in the backyard, okay? The other workers already went home and I can't find any other tall boys. Oh, and thank Natsume too. Don't forget to go downstairs after you inform him. It's almost 7:00pm."

Ruka sighed and turned to Natsume. "Well, you heard her."

Natsume nodded. "All right."

—*********—**

Mikan opened the door leading to the backyard with the intention of getting out and smelling the fresh air since she felt so uncomfortable being with people she didn't know.

_I have to clear my mind so that I can think clearly about what to do next…_ Mikan thought, a contented smile forming on her face. She stared at the sky, lost in her own world.

At that moment, a voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

"_Oi_."

Mikan spun around, startled. Unfortunately, due to her sudden action, she slipped on the marble cobblestones and lost her balance.

Mikan shut her eyes, preparing herself for the impact.

It never came.

Strong hands were holding her tight as if not wanting to let go. She opened her eyes slowly and timidly, curious to know what happened and why she wasn't lying flat on the ground with her face on the dirt. The sight that greeted her was a pair of familiar crimson eyes and crooked glasses.

"Natsume?!" she exclaimed.

Natsume stared at her, his expression somewhat that of confusion. "Do I know you?"

Mikan started to protest, to ask him why he couldn't recognize her when she suddenly remembered her transformation.

"It's me," Mikan said, staring straight into his eyes, assuring him of her identity. "Mikan Sakura."

A look of recognition crossed Natsume's face. "_You're_ that plain-looking girl in the woods?" he said, bewildered.

Mikan pouted when he said the word '_plain-looking'_. "Yeah."

"Why are you…" He let her go and eyed her from head to toe. "…like this?"

As Mikan explained it all to him, his brow creased in thought and his expression was unreadable. When she finished, he let out a sigh.

"You should go enjoy the party," Natsume said quietly. "You should entertain yourself before midnight comes. Besides, that's the main reason why you came here, right?"

"Right…" Mikan said slowly. "Yeah, you're right."

"Now that that's settled, get out of my sight."

"Huh?" A bewildered look was shown all over Mikan's face.

"Leave me alone now," Natsume said. "I want to think about something by myself."

"But, Natsume—"

"I said leave me alone."

Mikan gave up. "All right…" She walked towards the door and went inside the mansion.

Natsume, deep in thought, started to hang the lights up on the tree branches.

—*********—**

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please?" Mrs. Nogi said loudly, calling everyone's attention in the room. When the audience lapsed into silence, Mrs. Nogi continued, "I have a very important announcement to make. It concerns my son Ruka."

Mikan stared at the tall blond-haired boy with warm blue eyes, white teeth, and fair complexion. He looked like he wanted to be somewhere else.

_But why would that be?_ Mikan thought, confused. _Isn't today his birthday?_

"My son will be engaged to a girl from a prestigious family, a girl with looks that have the grace of a model, intelligence the same as a scholar, and manners similar to that of a proper young lady," Mrs. Nogi said, unable to contain the excitement in her voice.

Ruka squirmed in his place.

Mrs. Nogi didn't notice her son's uneasiness. "Her name is Hotaru Imai, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Imai, the president and vice-president of the famous Alice Company respectively. She is currently under the care of Ms. Luna Koizumi, the wife of the deceased Mr. Izumi Yukihira. She is also the younger sister of Mr. Subaru Imai, the famous vice-president of the High School Division in Alice Academy."

The spotlight was directed at Hotaru, who looked visibly annoyed even when a part of her face was covered with her black mask. Sighing, she reluctantly went towards Mrs. Nogi and Ruka, ignoring the shocked, bewildered looks of Luna and Sumire.

"Dear, what is with that mask you are wearing?" Mrs. Nogi remarked.

Hotaru took it off, her violet eyes seemingly blank. "I wore it just for fun," she said flatly.

Ruka blinked at the sight of her beauty. He then shook the weird feeling off, not wanting to associate himself with a girl.

Not until he saw his first love again.

"Ruka, go dance with Hotaru," Mrs. Nogi pressed.

Ruka wanted to protest, but decided against it for he didn't want to humiliate his mother and make the happy expression on her face fade away. He took Hotaru's hand gently, much to her surprise. She certainly didn't expect him to comply to his mother's wishes that easily, especially if he seemed to be so against the engagement.

Slow music started to play across the room, making Ruka groan inwardly. The rule said that when the music starts playing and you don't dance with your partner, you get a punishment. It was a tradition in their city so no one dared to go against it.

Hotaru looked at Ruka intently as if she was trying to penetrate into his soul. Ruka shivered slightly under her gaze, obviously uncomfortable about their current situation.

Hotaru then decided to speak.

"Who are you again?" she asked blankly.

Ruka stared at her in pure disbelief. As far as he knew, all the people in Alice City knew the name of the most influential family's son. This girl—a _rich_ girl at that—didn't know his name?

He cleared his throat. "Um… It's Ruka. Ruka Nogi."

"Oh."

That was it. A simple '_oh'_. Nobody ever talked to him like that. No one dared to, anyway.

He decided to talk to her, which was something that he didn't normally do. He never associated much with girls ever since he was eight. He usually avoided having a conversation with them.

But here he was now, planning to _talk_ to a _girl_, of all people.

"Ms. Luna is your stepmother, right?" he said.

"Yes," Hotaru replied simply.

"I heard from some people that you have two other stepsisters."

Hotaru stared at him. As far as she knew, _no one_ knew about the fact that Luna had sheltered Izumi's daughter. "I only have one stepsister," she said, feeling satisfied when her voice came out as her usual calm, indifferent tone. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, that's right," he said sheepishly. "I forgot. I'm sorry. I made a mistake."

"No, that's all right," she said, relief slightly coloring her voice. "So, how is it?"

He stared at her, a puzzled expression plastered on his face. "Huh?"

"Your party. How is it?"

"To tell the truth, it's really… uninteresting so far."

"Oh. Okay."

"Yeah…"

And that was the end of their small talk.

—*********—**

When Natsume went inside the mansion after hanging the lights, someone suddenly bumped into his chest, causing him to nearly lose his balance.

"What the hell?" he said angrily. He started to shove the person off but stopped. Brown hair suddenly moved into his line of sight and he heard a quiet whimper coming from the person's mouth.

"You again?" he said, seeing that it was Mikan.

She was rubbing her right eye. "Ow, ow… What is…? Ow…" she muttered incoherently.

Natsume studied her intently. "What are you doing?"

"Natsume? Is… that you? Natsume, help me!" she cried, still rubbing her eye. "My eyelids are stuck… I had spread glue on my fake eyelashes since they came off, but then I accidentally put some on my eyelid… And… And…"

Natsume rolled his eyes. "Seriously… That's what you're fussing about? I never would have imagined…"

"Hey!" Mikan said, irritated. "Won't you just help me out here?"

Natsume sighed. "All right, all right…" He lifted her chin up and examined her right eye. "Yup, it's stuck all right…" He looked around the room. "Wait here," he told her. "I'll be right back."

"Hey, where are you going?"

"I'm going to get some water to wash that glue off, _idiot_."

"Hey! Who are you calling an idiot? And come back right away after you get the water!"

—*********—**

The music stopped, but Ruka's hands were still on Hotaru's waist while Hotaru's hands were still on Ruka's shoulders. Neither made a move to let go.

Finally, Ruka broke the silence. "Um, aren't you going to let go?"

"No," Hotaru said nonchalantly.

"Huh?"

An evil grin spread across her face. "It's more romantic this way."

Ruka's eyes were the size of saucers. "_What_?"

—*********—**

Natsume finished washing the glue off. "There," he said. "Better now?"

When Mikan opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was a pair of crimson eyes looking at her… _worriedly_?

Nah, that couldn't be true.

"Thanks a lot!" she said brightly.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Next time, don't act like an idiot. You got that?"

Mikan rolled her eyes at him. "I got it, I got it."

—*********—**

After about ten minutes, Ruka and Hotaru finally let go of each other and went on their own separate ways. Hotaru went over to Luna while Ruka wandered off to nowhere in particular.

But it just so happened that he didn't look where he was going.

_Bam._

Both of them fell to the floor. People crowded around them, but no one dared to try to help. It was either they were too shy and nervous to do so or they were merely indifferent.

Ruka stood up and looked at the person. It was a _girl_. He groaned inwardly, but his manners came first.

"Are you all right?" he asked, offering his hand to the girl he bumped into.

"Ow…" Mikan muttered, rubbing the back of her head.

"Need some help?" Ruka asked worriedly.

"Ah, no, it's fine," Mikan assured him. She then tried to stand up.

She failed.

She started to fall back to the ground, but luckily Ruka caught her easily by the arms and helped her stand on her feet. He flashed her a warm smile even though he was uncomfortable in doing so.

"That was close," he said. "I'm sorry. It was all because I wasn't looking where I was going."

"No, no," Mikan protested. "It was my own fault. My mind was somewhere else."

At that moment, slow music began to play. Ruka held back a groan.

He did the only thing that could save him from getting punished.

"Take my hand," he pressed.

Mikan looked a little confused, but she took his hand anyway. As they reached the center, Mikan spoke in a nervous tone, "Um, I-I don't really know how to dance…"

Ruka gave her a reassuring smile. "This your first time?"

"Yes…"

"Don't worry. I'll teach you how."

—*********—**

"Who is that girl dancing with your fiancée?" Luna sneered, glaring at Mikan.

Hotaru looked expressionless. "That girl has a name, Ms. Koizumi."

Luna stared at her incredulously. "You know her?"

"Yeah." Hotaru quickly thought of a name. "Her name is Michelle."

"Whose daughter is she?"

"I don't know."

Luna turned back to Mikan. "_Hmph_. You're much more beautiful than her, anyway."

Sumire stared at Mikan closely. "That girl… She looks a little bit familiar…"

"No, she isn't," Hotaru said flatly. "Maybe you've mistaken her for someone else."

Sumire looked a little doubtful. "Hmm… Maybe you're right."

—*********—**

When the music stopped, Mikan inadvertently glanced at the watch. It was 11:35pm.

"Oh! It's that time already? Oh no, I must go now! I'm sorry!" Mikan hurriedly ran off towards the exit.

Ruka stared at her retreating back and thought, _What is she in a hurry for?_

As Mikan ran, she didn't realize that she had left her shoe on the path of cobblestones. Ruka noticed it and ran after her.

"Hey!" he shouted. "Miss! You left your shoe!"

But unfortunately, Mikan didn't hear him and disappeared along the road. Ruka picked up her shoe, staring at it intently.

_She sure was nice… Not like the other snobby rich girls out there…_ he thought.

"She left her shoe? That idiot…"

Ruka turned to the source. It was Hotaru, an expression of annoyance showing all over her face.

"You know her?" Ruka said, bewildered.

"She is…" Hotaru thought of something that would declare the relationship between them. "…a friend of mine."

_I can't believe I just said that._

Ruka looked a little impressed. "So you have a friend like her? I never would have thought that you two would get along with each other since you're so… down-to-earth, quiet, rational… While she…"

"…is loud, talkative, and irrational," Hotaru finished for him.

"…Anyway, here." He held out Mikan's shoe. "You should give this back to her."

Hotaru stared at it blankly. "I can't," she said quietly.

"Um… Why not?"

"Because you have to be the one who will give it back to her."

* * *

—*********—**

_This marks the end of chapter two._

—*********—**

* * *

**Author's Note**

_Guys, I just want to thank you for reviewing. I know that what I asked for was selfish, but I am still glad that many of you like my story. :)_


	3. Chapter Three — About Ruka

—*****—**

**Chapter Three — About Ruka**

—*****—**

When Ruka was eight, he had a crush on some girl in his class. She was cute, lovable, and happy-go-lucky. Her brown eyes always seemed to sparkle in the light and her smile was enough to bring happiness to those people who were around her.

Her name, for now, will be _Michelle_.

Ruka adored her, but because of embarrassment and shyness, he showed little interest in her to make her and the others think that he wasn't chasing after her. Sure, he blushed occasionally whenever he saw her and whenever she spoke to him, but it wasn't enough of an evidence to prove that he had a really big crush on her.

Then a problem rose to the surface one sunny day.

Michelle liked him, too.

Their classmates knew. Only Ruka didn't.

"He is so dense," one of his classmates remarked.

Natsume, knowing all about it, just sat on the windowsill and watched what his bestfriend was going to do next.

Ruka, however, still stuck to his plan on 'not showing his true feelings'.

And so… when Michelle confessed to him that day…

"I like you!" she said, a big smile lighting up her features.

A deep shade of red colored Ruka's cheeks as he frantically thought of what he should do.

"Do you like me, too?"

Ruka instantly froze. As those five simple words processed inside his brain, Michelle was looking at him expectantly, waiting for his answer. His mind suddenly went blank. He didn't know what to do. He didn't even know what to say.

_Now what?_

"Michelle!" the teacher called out. "I have something important to tell you and it can't wait so come here quickly!"

An alarmed expression crossed Michelle's face. She hurriedly ran over to the teacher, feeling a sense of foreboding.

While they were talking, Ruka buried himself inside his book, feeling like a total idiot. His insides were melting like butter and he felt like squirming in his seat.

_I should've said something…_ he thought. _Now I've lost the chance to say that I like her, too._

After a few minutes, a loud slam echoed throughout the room. Ruka looked up from his book, startled.

Michelle and the teacher had gone out in a hurry.

He wondered why.

—*****—**

He learned about it the next day.

And guess who he got the information from?

"I don't know what to do, Natsume," Ruka said, burying his head in his hands. "She must be in a really terrible state…"

Natsume's expression was unreadable. "You don't have to do anything…" Then a thoughtful expression crossed his face. "But if you're really that desperate…"

—*****—**

"Um, Michelle?" Ruka said, approaching the girl slowly. He then saw the tears streaming down her face, flowing like rivulets. He immediately panicked inside.

"I-I'm sorry… I came at a bad time… I…" he stammered nervously.

"R-Ruka…" Michelle said, her voice trembling. "D-Daddy… H-He's…"

He clapped his hand over her mouth on an impulse. He felt an overwhelming urge to hug her, but he knew that it was not the time to do that sort of thing. Instead, he drew his hand away from her mouth and looked at her solemnly.

"Please…" he said softly. "Please don't say any more. Just cry. Cry your heart out. Cry until all your tears are gone."

She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Her lip quivered and she let herself dissolve in wrecked sobs as she placed her arms around Ruka's neck and laid her head against his chest. Ruka, shocked by her sudden actions, was rendered speechless.

They stayed in that position for about five minutes. Then Michelle slowly let go of him, looking weary, tired.

"Thank you for being here with me," she said with a hint of gratitude in her voice. "You're such a good person, Ruka…"

Ruka held out the sunflower he had been hiding so hard behind his back. Blushing furiously, he said, "Here. It's for… for your father and… for _you_."

Her face immediately brightened. "Really? Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!" In her happiness, she tiptoed up to his height (since she was a little shorter compared to him) and kissed him on the cheek.

The red shade on his cheeks deepened as he immediately turned his head away from her, obviously flustered.

Michelle's eyes widened as an indication of sudden revelation. Her cheeks turned hot pink and she covered her face with her small, petite hands.

**.**

**.**

_Awkward._

**.**

**.**

Ruka gathered up his courage. "Michelle?" he said timidly.

"Mm hmm?"

"I… Like you, too."

—*****—**

Mikan clutched her dress, staring up at the night sky. The stars seemed to be sparkling brighter than usual, the moon had a shape as that of a perfect crescent, and the lights coming from the skyscrapers looked like lanterns in the night sky.

Mikan smiled. She had fun at the party… even though she didn't so pretty much anything.

She then thought of beautiful, blunt Hotaru, arrogant, enigmatic Natsume, and warm, pleasant Ruka.

—*****—**

Ruka gazed at the dainty, glimmering shoe, studying it intently. He then happened to glance at the sky, mesmerized by the beautiful view.

Michelle then popped into his mind unexpectedly.

_If only I could see her… Even if it's just once…_

—*****—**

Mikan clutched the locket around her neck. It was heart-shaped and in it contained a picture from her faded past. She treasured the locket and never showed it to anyone, not even to Hotaru.

She closed her eyes, breathing in slowly before she spoke in a soft, longing voice.

"_I've finally found you_."

Then her lips curved up into a beautiful smile.

—*****—**

_This marks the end of chapter three._

—*****—**

**Author's Note**

_Hey. Sorry if this is a bit short. T.T Anyway, can you tell me what you think of this chapter? I just wrote it in a rush. Sorry about that._


	4. Chapter Four — The Story of the Past

—*****—**

**Chapter Four — The Story of the Past**

—*****—**

Twenty years ago, there were two people who came to Alice City with their three children. The mother and father were born with supernatural powers. The father had the power of teleportation, the mother had the power of earth, and their daughter, who had inherited their powers, had the power of teleportation just like her father.

The daughter's name, for now, will be _Sara_.

The father, Ryuu, was a slim and rather good-looking man with clean-cut ebony hair while the mother, Sasaki, was a slender, pretty woman with long brown hair cascading over her shoulders. Sara, on the other hand, had long, straight silky brown hair which flowed down to her waist with bangs covering her forehead. She also had brown eyes and fair skin.

Sara had an emotional attachment to her family and a heart bearing only innocent intentions. She was very emotional and a bit withdrawn. She was sometimes friendly with others but maintained an air of solitude. She got along with kids her age but simply refused to trust adults (her parents were an exception, of course). She also generally appeared indifferent to others, but when facing her own family, her armor eventually dissolves.

The family's peaceful life ended when the president of Alice City, Kuonji, discovered about their supernatural powers. After a meeting with the government, they decided to place Ryuu and Sasaki in the laboratory to experiment on them. But Sara, horrified at the thought of her parents leaving her, begged Kuonji to let them go.

Kuonji smirked at the little girl clutching his clothes. "So," he said smoothly. "your name is Sara, right?"

Sara nodded.

"Then tell me, Sara, would you like to go in their stead?"

Ryuu and Sasaki gaped at him.

Sara didn't understand what he meant, but she nodded anyway, thinking that he would let her parents go. A small seed of doubt was planted inside her mind, but she paid no attention to it. Her parents came first before her feelings.

Kuonji looked thoughtful. "Good, good. But I need to report this matter to the government and see what we can do…"

"You are _not_ taking my daughter away!" Sasaki said loudly, grabbing Sara's shoulders and steering her away from the president.

Kuonji grinned. "It's useless, Sasaki. No matter how much you two hide her from me, no one can deny the fact that she has already made her decision."

"She's only five years old!" Sasaki shouted, a hint of desperation in her voice. "How dare you just experiment on innocent children like her?!"

"I never said that I was going to experiment on her," Kuonji said smoothly.

Ryuu frowned. _That's right… Why did he agree to Sara's decision that easily…?_

"Then what are you going to do to her?" Sasaki said angrily with a hint of sarcasm. "_Kill her_?"

"I think that's going too far," Kuonji said. "For me, the best thing to do would be to send her to a school where children and adults of her kind go to. Don't you agree?"

Ryuu's eyes widened. "Wait a minute," he said. "Don't tell me… You were after Sara right from the start?!"

"Very sharp, Ryuu," Kuonji said.

"What!?" Sasaki exclaimed.

Kuonji couldn't seem to hide his amusement. "From what I have learned, children normally don't want their parents to leave them, thus resulting in them making some irrational and sudden decisions. Especially an _alice_."

Sasaki growled at him. "You _bastard_!"

Ryuu stared at his wife. "Sasaki," he said in a very serious tone of voice.

Sasaki stared back at him. "_What_?" she hissed.

He gestured for her to come near him. Sasaki, suddenly confused, obeyed.

"What are you doing?" Kuonji said suspiciously.

When Sasaki was near, Ryuu immediately grabbed her by the waist with his right hand and gripped Sara's shoulder using his other hand. Before Kuonji realized what he was about to do, they had already disappeared into thin air.

—*****—**

After that incident, they hid themselves as far as they could, not wanting to send their only daughter (since she was the only female) to the government. But, unfortunately, as time passed and Sara was ten years old, they found her.

They sent her to Alice Academy, a prestigious school which was seemingly hiding something behind its lavish façade. There were rumors going on inside that they would be meeting the very first student of the school, so all the staff assembled in the gates, chattering excitedly. The school had no students yet since it was recently built, so it was natural that some teachers were nervous. All the staff had powers just like Ryuu and Sasaki.

"We call these powers _alices_," Sara's guide told her while they were touring the school. "Alice Academy consists of four main parts: The Elementary School Division, Middle School Division, High School Division, and Central Town. Also, there are a lot of forests around the buildings with names like 'Northern Woods' etc. The curriculum here isn't different from any other school. There are regular courses such as Math and History. However, the big difference is that the students and teachers have alices. The students cannot use their alice ability during class without permission. There are also alice-based classes for students to attend to learn how to use their alices. Students are ranked in a Star Rank system by good behavior and grades." He stopped walking and turned to Sara. "Do you understand what I am saying?"

Sara merely nodded, determined to learn more about the mysterious school. She didn't completely get what he was explaining about, since he was talking a little too fast, but she caught about the gist of it.

He sighed and continued on with his explanation. "The school is separated from the outside world with a tall gate that surrounds the whole area. The gate is dangerous to cross over, because those who do are electrocuted. Once someone passes the gate, the teachers are notified and take action to return the student to the school. Other than the gate, the school is protected by the Middle School Principal, Hii-sama's powerful Barrier alice."

"So each division has a principal of its own?" Sara asked.

He smiled. _It's a good thing she listens well_. "Yes. There is an Elementary School Principal, Middle School Principal, and a High School Principal. The ESP, which is short for Elementary School Principal, is none other than Principal Kuonji, our very own city's president. He volunteered for this position in order to keep an eye on the students, particularly _you_."

Sara was determined not to listen any more about Kuonji. "And the other principals?"

"Oh, yes. The MSP is Principal Himemiya, a woman with a strong Barrier alice which protects this academy while the HSP is Principal Kazumi Yukihira. His alices are both quite rare. His primary alices are the Longevity alice and the Detection alice. He can live forever with his alice of Longevity while his other alice, which is the Detection alice, allows him to know what alice a person has by meeting them in person or by looking at them in a picture."

"Am I the only student here?"

"Oh, no," the guide said. "There are others too. You are, simply put, the first student here, since you are the first supernatural being President Kuonji had encountered aside from your parents."

"Where are they?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"The other students."

"Oh. They are currently speaking with the president. After that, they will go here."

Sara looked up at the sky when she heard the sudden flap of a bird's wing. As it flew in a carefree way, she stared at it in envy. If only she could be as free as that bird… If only she weren't trapped in her own cage… If only there weren't people as greedy as the president and the government… If only they didn't have powers…

If only they didn't come to Alice City… Because if they didn't, maybe the president couldn't have discovered that there were actually people with 'alices' in this world. Then maybe the people they recruited (or maybe threatened) to go to the Academy could have been living peacefully, hiding their special powers.

_I can't blame my family…_ Sara thought bitterly. _They didn't do anything wrong._

_I only have myself to blame._

—*****—**

Even at the age of ten, her parents considered Sara as a mature, level-headed person with a quick, probing mind, but a bit forgetful about the things she had learned long ago. She wasn't exactly a genius but she made it a point to understand everything that was taught to her.

This was because she didn't want to be any more of a burden to her parents.

This personality of hers grew as she became a fifteen-year-old. She became more serious and lonely than ever. Her classmates always ignored her, not because she was the one who caused them to go to the Academy but because they thought she was weird. This was because Sara always wore big wire-rimmed glasses and never thought about her appearance at all. In other words, she looked like a nerd.

But all that changed when a certain teacher came to the school.

And by the way, I will now reveal her true name. Erase the name Sara and replace it with _Yuka Azumi._

—*****—**

The new teacher was Izumi Yukihira, a twenty-one-year-old handsome, appealing man with short, straight fair hair with bangs that covered his blue eyes. He had a cheerful, social, and kind personality (which was passed down to his daughter Mikan). Izumi had a belief that all alices could be good, but it depended on how the user decided to use it. Although, because of once being a delinquent in his teenage years, he could also be hotheaded at times. He could also be very intimidating and he had a temper when he was angered or provoked. He had the nullification alice, which could render the alice of another person useless.

The day Yuka first met him was in the classroom, of course.

He was cheerfully announcing to the class, "Hey there! My name is Izumi Yukihira, but you can call me Yuki for short!" He wrote 'YUKI' on the blackboard and drew some tiny hearts next to it.

"Mr. Yuki, that's so gay!" a guy at the back remarked jokingly.

A loud chorus of approval and laughter rang across the room. Izumi laughed heartily.

"All right, all right, now let me know your names." His eyes scurried the room. "You there." He was looking straight at Yuka.

Yuka's eyes revealed surprise and pure confusion. "M-Me?"

"Yes, you. Stand up."

Yuka did as what she was told.

"Introduce yourself."

A deep shade of red tinted Yuka's cheek as she lowered her head in embarrassment. She suddenly felt conscious about the fact that she didn't comb her messy brown hair and that she was wearing a weird pair of glasses in front of the new teacher.

Why was she feeling this way?

Izumi cleared his throat. "Excuse me, miss? I can't recognize you even if you say your name if you lower your head like that."

Yuka swallowed her nervousness and lifted her head, putting her best blank expression on her face. "Yuka," she said. Then she scolded herself mentally. It was supposed to come out flat, but instead it came out as a squeak. "Yuka Azumi."

"Yuka?" he repeated.

Yuka nodded feebly.

He studied her for a moment, then unexpectedly made his way towards her. Her brown eyes widened as he was standing right in front of her.

"M-Mr. Yukihira?" Yuka stammered. She did not get why she was stammering. What happened to the calm, serious girl who _never_ stammered once in her life?

He didn't seem to hear her. He reached for her face.

Yuka watched disbelievingly as he took her glasses off her face and smoothed her hair. He put her glasses on her desk and smiled.

"There," he said admiringly. "I never knew you were actually _this_ pretty."

Yuka turned bright red.

—*****—**

_This marks the end of chapter four._

_To be continued in the next chapter._

—*****—**

**R&R**

**NOTE: You guys do know why I am giving them fake names, right? Because I want the characters that will appear soon in this story to be unpredictable. I do hope you understand. :)**


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